Utilizing chitooligosaccharides from shrimp waste biodegradation via recombinant chitinase A: a promising approach for emulsifying hydrocarbon and bioremediation

BACKGROUND

Hydrocarbon pollution stemming from petrochemical activities is a significant global environmental concern. Bioremediation, employing microbial chitinase-based bioproducts to detoxify or remove contaminants, presents an intriguing solution for addressing hydrocarbon pollution. Chitooligosaccharides, a product of chitin degradation by chitinase enzymes, emerge as key components in this process. Utilizing chitinaceous wastes as a cost-effective substrate, microbial chitinase can be harnessed to produce Chitooligosaccharides. This investigation explores two strategies to enhance chitinase productivity, firstly, statistical optimization by the Plackett Burman design approach to  evaluating the influence of individual physical and chemical parameters on chitinase production, Followed by  response surface methodology (RSM) which delvs  into the interactions among these factors to optimize chitinase production. Second, to further boost chitinase production, we employed heterologous expression of the chitinase-encoding gene in E. coli BL21(DE3) using a suitable vector. Enhancing chitinase activity not only boosts productivity but also augments the production of Chitooligosaccharides, which are found to be used as emulsifiers.

RESULTS

In this study, we focused on optimizing the production of chitinase A from S. marcescens using the Plackett Burman design and response surface methods. This approach led to achieving a maximum activity of 78.65 U/mL. Subsequently, we cloned and expressed the gene responsible for chitinase A in E. coli BL21(DE3). The gene sequence, named SmChiA, spans 1692 base pairs, encoding 563 amino acids with a molecular weight of approximately 58 kDa. This sequence has been deposited in the NCBI GenBank under the accession number "OR643436". The purified recombinant chitinase exhibited a remarkable activity of 228.085 U/mL, with optimal conditions at a pH of 5.5 and a temperature of 65 °C. This activity was 2.9 times higher than that of the optimized enzyme. We then employed the recombinant chitinase A to effectively hydrolyze shrimp waste, yielding chitooligosaccharides (COS) at a rate of 33% of the substrate. The structure of the COS was confirmed through NMR and mass spectrometry analyses. Moreover, the COS demonstrated its utility by forming stable emulsions with various hydrocarbons. Its emulsification index remained stable across a wide range of salinity, pH, and temperature conditions. We further observed that the COS facilitated the recovery of motor oil, burned motor oil, and aniline from polluted sand. Gravimetric assessment of residual hydrocarbons showed a correlation with FTIR analyses, indicating the efficacy of COS in remediation efforts.

CONCLUSIONS

The recombinant chitinase holds significant promise for the biological conversion of chitinaceous wastes into chitooligosaccharides (COS), which proved its potential in bioremediation efforts targeting hydrocarbon-contaminated sand.

Effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water combined with ԑ-polylysine-chitooligosaccharide Maillard reaction products treatment on the quality of vacuum packaged sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicas)

In this study, a new natural preservative, ε-polylysine (ε-PL) and chitooligosaccharides (COS) Maillard reaction products (LC-MRPs), was prepared by Maillard reaction. The preservation effect of LC-MRPs combined with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) pretreatment (SM) on vacuum-packed sea bass during refrigerated storage was evaluated. The results showed that after 16 days, SM treatment could effectively inhibit the microbial growth and prevent water migration in sea bass. In addition, the highest water holding capacity (69.79 %) and the best sensory characteristics, the lowest malonaldehyde (MDA) (58.96 nmol/g), trimethylamine (TMA) (3.35 mg/100 g), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) (16.93 mg N/100 g), myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) (92.2 %) and TCA-soluble peptides (2.16 μmol tyrosine/g meat) were related to SM group. Combined with sensory analysis, we can conclude that the combined treatment of SAEW and LC-MRPs could prolong the shelf-life of sea bass for another 11 days compared with the DW group. Results disclosed that the composite treatment of SAEW and LC-MRPs is a promising technology to improve the shelf-life of vacuum-packed sea bass during refrigerated storage.

Effect of chronic low-dose treatment with chitooligosaccharides on microbial dysbiosis and inflammation associated chronic ulcerative colitis in Balb/c mice

The study aimed to investigate the potential of low dose chitooligosaccharide (COS) in ameliorating dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) induced chronic colitis by regulating microbial dysbiosis and pro-inflammatory responses. Chronic colitis was induced in BALB/c mice by DSS (4% w/v, 3 cycles of 5 days) administration. The mice were divided into four groups: vehicle, DSS, DSS + mesalamine and DSS+COS. COS and mesalamine were administered orally, daily once, from day 1 to day 30 at a dose of 20 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg respectively. The disease activity index (DAI), colon length, histopathological score, microbial composition, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression were evaluated. COS (20 mg/kg, COSLow) administration reduced the disease activity index, and colon shortening, caused by DSS significantly. Furthermore, COSLow restored the altered microbiome in the gut and inhibited the elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 and IL-6) in the colon against DSS-induced chronic colitis in mice. Moreover, COSLow treatment improved the probiotic microflora thereby restoring the gut homeostasis. In conclusion, this is the first study where microbial dysbiosis and pro-inflammatory responses were modulated by chronic COSLow treatment against DSS-induced chronic colitis in Balb/c mice. Therefore, COS supplementation at a relatively low dose could be efficacious for chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

Chitinous material bioconversion by three new chitinases from the yeast Mestchnikowia pulcherrima

BACKGROUND

Chitinases are widely distributed enzymes that perform the biotransformation of chitin, one of the most abundant polysaccharides on the biosphere, into useful value-added chitooligosaccharides (COS) with a wide variety of biotechnological applications in food, health, and agricultural fields. One of the most important group of enzymes involved in the degradation of chitin comprises the glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18), which harbours endo- and exo-enzymes that act synergistically to depolymerize chitin. The secretion of a chitinase activity from the ubiquitous yeast Mestchnikowia pulcherrima and their involvement in the post-harvest biological control of fungal pathogens was previously reported.

RESULTS

Three new chitinases from M. pulcherrima, MpChit35, MpChit38 and MpChit41, were molecularly characterized and extracellularly expressed in Pichia pastoris to about 91, 90 and 71 mU ml- 1, respectively. The three enzymes hydrolysed colloidal chitin with optimal activity at 45 ºC and pH 4.0-4.5, increased 2-times their activities using 1 mM of Mn2+ and hydrolysed different types of commercial chitosan. The partial separation and characterization of the complex COS mixtures produced from the hydrolysis of chitin and chitosan were achieved by a new anionic chromatography HPAEC-PAD method and mass spectrometry assays. An overview of the predicted structures of these proteins and their catalytic modes of action were also presented. Depicted their high sequence and structural homology, MpChit35 acted as an exo-chitinase producing di-acetyl-chitobiose from chitin while MpChit38 and MpChit41 both acted as endo-chitinases producing tri-acetyl-chitotriose as main final product.

CONCLUSIONS

Three new chitinases from the yeast M. pulcherrima were molecularly characterized and their enzymatic and structural characteristics analysed. These enzymes transformed chitinous materials to fully and partially acetylated COS through different modes of splitting, which make them interesting biocatalysts for deeper structural-function studies on the challenging enzymatic conversion of chitin.

Modulation of tryptophan metabolism via AHR-IL22 pathway mediates the alleviation of DSS-induced colitis by chitooligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerization

Oral administration of chitooligosaccharides (COS) has been reported to alleviate colitis in mice. However, the mechanism of action of COS with specific polymerization degree on gut inflammation and metabolism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chitobiose (COS2), chitotetraose (COS4), and chitohexaose (COS6) on colitis, and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms. COS2, COS4, and COS6 were able to significantly alleviate colonic injury and inflammation levels. COS6 has the best anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, COS6 could down-regulate the level of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and restore the levels of indole, indoleacetic-3-acid (IAA), and indole-3-carbaldehyde (I3A) in the cecum of chronic colitis mice (p < 0.05), thereby regulating tryptophan metabolism. In the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor-IL-22 (AHR-IL-22) pathway, although there were differences between chronic colitis and acute colitis mice, COS intervention could restore the AHR-IL-22 pathway to normal, promote the expression of MUC2, and repair the intestinal mucosal barrier. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that COS had a good inhibitory effect on IDO1 under inflammation and the changes of AHR and IL-22 levels at different stages of disease development. This provides new insights into the potential use of COS as a functional food for improving intestinal inflammation and metabolism.

Co-application of chitooligosaccharides and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi reduced greenhouse gas fluxes in saline soil by improving the rhizosphere microecology of soybean

Soil salinization can affect the ecological environment of soil and alter greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Chitooligosaccharides and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) reduced the GHG fluxes of salinized soil, and this reduction was attributed to an alteration in the rhizosphere microecology, including changes in the activities of β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosidase, and Leucine aminopeptidase. Additionally, certain bacteria species such as paracoccus, ensifer, microvirga, and paracyclodium were highly correlated with GHG emissions. Another interesting finding is that foliar spraying of chitooligosaccharides could transport to the soybean root system, and improve soybean tolerance to salt stress. This is achieved by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and the changes in amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and membrane transport. Importantly, the Co-application of chitooligosaccharides and Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi was found to have a greater effect compared to their application alone.

An overview of fungal chitinases and their potential applications

Chitin, the world's second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose, is composed of β-1,4-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues. It is the key structural component of many organisms, including crustaceans, mollusks, marine invertebrates, algae, fungi, insects, and nematodes. There has been a significant increase in the generation of chitinous waste from seafood businesses, resulting in a big amount of scrap. Although several organisms, such as plants, crustaceans, insects, nematodes, and animals, produce chitinases, microorganisms are promising candidates and a sustainable option that mediates chitin degradation. Fungi are the dominant group of chitinase producers among microorganisms. In fungi, chitinases are involved in morphogenesis, cell division, autolysis, chitin acquisition for nutritional purposes, and mycoparasitism. Many efficient chitinolytic fungi with potential applications have been identified in a variety of environments, including soil, water, marine wastes, and plants. The current review highlights the key sources of chitinolytic fungi and the characterization of fungal chitinases. It also discusses the applications of fungal chitinases and the cloning of fungal chitinase genes.

Contribution of non-ionic interactions on bile salt sequestration by chitooligosaccharides: Potential hypocholesterolemic activity

Chitooligosaccharides have been suggested as cholesterol reducing ingredients mostly due to their ability to sequestrate bile salts. The nature of the chitooligosaccharides-bile salts binding is usually linked with the ionic interaction. However, at physiological intestinal pH range (6.4 to 7.4) and considering chitooligosaccharides pKa, they should be mostly uncharged. This highlights that other type of interaction might be of relevance. In this work, aqueous solutions of chitooligosaccharides with an average degree of polymerization of 10 and 90 % deacetylated, were characterized regarding their effect on bile salt sequestration and cholesterol accessibility. Chitooligosaccharides were shown to bind bile salts to a similar extent as the cationic resin colestipol, both decreasing cholesterol accessibility as measured by NMR at pH 7.4. A decrease in the ionic strength leads to an increase in the binding capacity of chitooligosaccharides, in agreement with the involvement of ionic interactions. However, when the pH is decreased to 6.4, the increase in charge of chitooligosaccharides is not followed by a significant increase in bile salt sequestration. This corroborates the involvement of non-ionic interactions, which was further supported by NMR chemical shift analysis and by the negative electrophoretic mobility attained for the bile salt-chitooligosaccharide aggregates at high bile salt concentrations. These results highlight that chitooligosaccharides non-ionic character is a relevant structural feature to aid in the development of hypocholesterolemic ingredients.

Recombinant production, characterization and industrial application testing of a novel acidic exo/endo-chitinase from Rasamsonia emersonii

An acid-active exo/endo-chitinase; comprising a GH18 catalytic domain and substrate insertion domain; originating from the thermophilic filamentous fungus Rasamsonia emersonii, was expressed in Pichia pastoris. In silico analysis including phylogenetic analysis, and recombinant production, purification, biochemical characterisation, and industrial application testing, was carried out. The expressed protein was identified by SDS-PAGE as a smear from 56.3 to 125.1 kDa, which sharpens into bands at 46.0 kDa, 48.4 kDa and a smear above 60 kDa when treated with PNGase F. The acid-active chitinase was primarily a chitobiosidase but displayed some endo-chitinase and acetyl-glucosamidase activity. The enzyme was optimally active at 50 °C, and markedly low pH of 2.8. As far as the authors are aware, this is the lowest pH optima reported for any fungal chitinase. The acid-active chitinase likely plays a role in chitin degradation for cell uptake in its native environment, perhaps in conjunction with a chitin deacetylase. Comparative studies with other R. emersonii chitinases indicate that they may play a synergistic role in this. The acid-active chitinase displayed some efficacy against non-treated substrates; fungal chitin and chitin from shrimp. Thus, it may be suited to industrial chitin hydrolysis reactions for extraction of glucosamine and chitobiose at low pH.

Preparation and antimicrobial mechanism of Maillard reaction products derived from ε-polylysine and chitooligosaccharides

Chitooligosaccharides can be combined with amino acids or polypeptide to form Maillard reaction products (MRPs) with the antibacterial characteristics through Maillard reaction. This research aims to clarify the structure, antimicrobial effect and mechanism against Shewanella putrefaciens (S. putrefaciens) of ε-polylysine and chitooligosaccharides Maillard reaction products (LC-MRPs). The results of intrinsic fluorescence (IF) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectra and scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated Maillard reaction occurred between ε-polylysine and chitooligosaccharides. The observation of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), SEM and growth curves of S. putrefaciens evidenced that LC-MRPs have the strongest antibacterial effects. The leakage of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) implied that LC-MRPs sabotaged bacterial barrier (cell wall and cell membrane). The changes in content of nucleic acids, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, lipid peroxidation content (LPO), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content showed LC-MRPs will affect bacterial genetic gene transcription, material and energy metabolism. Therefore, the LC-MRPs were effective antibacterial agents to inhibit S. putrefaciens, which will help to preserve food with S. putrefaciens as the main spoilage bacteria.

Preparation of chitooligosaccharides with a low degree of polymerization and anti-microbial properties using the novel chitosanase AqCsn1

Chitosanases hydrolyze chitosan into chitooligosaccharides (COSs) with various biological activities, which are widely employed in many areas including plant disease management. In this study, the novel chitosanase AqCsn1 belonging to the glycoside hydrolase family 46 (GH46) was cloned from Aquabacterium sp. A7-Y and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). AqCsn1 displayed the highest hydrolytic activity towards chitosan with 95% degree of deacetylation at 40 °C and pH 5.0, with a specific activity of 13.18 U/mg. Product analysis showed that AqCsn1 hydrolyzed chitosan into (GlcN)₂ and (GlcN)₃ as the main products, demonstrating an endo-type cleavage pattern. Evaluation of antagonistic activity showed that the hydrolysis products of AqCsn1 suppress the mycelial growth of Magnaporthe oryzae and Phytophthora sojae in a concentration-dependent manner, and the inhibition rate of P. sojae reached 39.82% at a concentration of 8 g/L. Our study demonstrates that AqCsn1 and hydrolysis products with a low degree of polymerization might have potential applications in the biological control of agricultural diseases.

Effects of ε-polylysine and chitooligosaccharide Maillard reaction products on quality of refrigerated sea bass fillets

BACKGROUND

The Maillard reaction is a promising and safe method for obtaining chitooligosaccharide conjugates with proteins or peptides as food preservatives. This study aims to investigate the moisture state, physicochemical properties, and shelf-life of sea bass fillets treated with ε-polylysine (ε-PL) and chitooligosaccharides (COS), which are Maillard reaction products (LC-MRPs), during refrigerated storage.

RESULTS

The results of microbiological analysis and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) revealed that LC-MRPs could retard microbial growth effectively. Compared with control, other treated groups could strongly retard the increase in the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, the K-value and the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) value, and also inhibited the softening of texture and the accumulation of biogenic amines in fish. The results of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicate that LC-MRPs could delay the water migration of fillets and increase water holding capacity (WHC). Through sensory evaluation, the application of LC-MRPs increased the shelf-life of refrigerated sea bass fillets for another 9 days.

CONCLUSION

Maillard reaction products derived from chitooligosaccharides and ε-polylysine have strong potential for preserving sea bass. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of chitooligosaccharides with a specific degree of polymerization on multiple targets in T2DM mice

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) are found naturally in the ocean and present a variety of physiological activities, of which hypoglycemic action has attracted considerable research attention. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of COS on mice suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). COS effectively reduced blood glucose and blood lipid levels and improved glucose tolerance. Furthermore, COS revealed strong inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, reducing postprandial blood glucose levels. Molecular docking data showed that COS might interact with surrounding amino acids to form a complex and decrease α-glucosidase activity. Additionally, COS enhanced insulin signal transduction and glycogen synthesis while restricting gluconeogenesis in the liver and muscles, reducing insulin resistance (IR) as a result. Moreover, COS effectively protected and restored islet cell function to increase insulin secretion. These results indicated that COS exhibited a significant hypoglycemic effect with multi-target participation. Therefore, COS may serve as a new preventive or therapeutic drug for diabetes to alleviate metabolic syndrome.

Immunomulation effect of alginic acid and chitooligosaccharides in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

Individual and combined efficacy of chitooligosaccharides (COS) and alginic acid (AA) at 1 g, 2 g, and 3 g per kg diet was assessed on growth and disease resistance in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) against Edwardsiella ictaluri. Growth parameters including specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain (WG), and feed conversion rate (FCR) were significant in fish fed 2 g and 3 g kg^-1 of COS or AA, and fish fed combined COS + AA at 1, 2 and 3 kg^-1 diet. In all groups, the survival rate (SR) was recorded 100%, except in group fed 2 g kg^-1 AA diet. All the hematological and biochemical profiles significantly increased in groups fed 2 g and 3 g kg^-1 of COS, AA, and COS + AA diets. Lipase and amylase enzyme activities and superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly increased in fish fed 2 g and 3 g kg^-1 of COS, AA, and COS + AA diet. Respiratory burst (RB), lysozyme (Lyz), reactive oxygen species (ROS) activities, and immunoglobuline (Ig) level were enhanced significantly in fish fed 2 g kg^-1 of COS or COS + AA and all 3 g kg^-1 diets, whereas nitric acid (NO) production and serum AP activity were improved in 2 g kg^-1 COS + AA and 3 g kg^-1 COS or COS + AA diets. Pro-inflammatory cytokine such as IL-8 mRNA transcriptions was significant in 2 g kg^-1 COS + AA diet and all 3 g kg^-1 diet. The IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokine mRNA transcriptions were significant in 3 g kg^-1 COS or COS + AA diets. This study was confirmed that H. molitrix fed with 3 g kg^-1 COS or COS + AA diets were better activity when compared to other diet.

Bioeconomic production of high-quality chitobiose from chitin food wastes using an in-house chitinase from Vibrio campbellii

Marine Vibrio species are natural degraders of chitin and usually secrete high levels of chitinolytic enzymes to digest recalcitrant chitin to chitooligosaccharides. This study used an endochitinase (VhChiA) from Vibrio campbellii to produce high-quality chitobiose from crustacean chitins. The enzyme was shown to be fully active and stable over 24 h when BSA was used as an additive. When different chitin sources were tested, VhChiA preferentially digested shrimp and squid (α) chitins compared to crab (β) chitin and did not utilize non-chitin substrates. The overall yields of chitobiose obtained from small-scale production using a single-step reaction was 96% from shrimp, and 91% from squid pen and crab-shell chitins. Larger-scale production yielded 200 mg of chitobiose, with > 99% purity after a desalting and purification step using preparative HPLC. In conclusion, we report the employment of an in-house produced chitinase as an effective biocatalyst to rapidly convert chitin food wastes to chitobiose, in a quantity and quality suitable for use in research and commercial purposes. Chitobiose production by this economical and eco-friendly approach can be easily scaled up to obtain multi-gram quantities of chitobiose for chemo-enzymic synthesis of rare chitooligosaccharide derivatives and long chain chitooligosaccharides, as well as preparation of sugar-based functionalized nanomaterials.

Deciphering the thermotolerance of chitinase O from Chitiniphilus shinanonensis by in vitro and in silico studies

Biochemical and biophysical studies revealed that chitinase O from Chitiniphilus shinanonensis (CsChiO) exhibits considerable thermotolerance, possibly due to the formation of a stable structural conformation. CsChiO is an exochitinase with a temperature optimum of 70 °C. The secondary structures of CsChiO and its catalytic domain (Cat-CsChiO) are only marginally affected upon heating up to 90 °C, as revealed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies revealed that CsChiO exhibits two endothermic transitions at ca. 51 °C (T_m1) and 59 °C (T_m2), whereas Cat-CsChiO shows a single endothermic transition at 52 °C. Together, the CD and DSC analyses suggested that the catalytic domain of CsChiO undergoes a thermotropic transition at ~52 °C from native state to another stable structural conformation. Results from molecular dynamic simulations corroborated that Cat-CsChiO adopts a stable structural conformation above 50 °C by partial unfolding. Thermotolerant CsChiO would be useful for the conversion of chitin, which is highly abundant, to biologically active COS. This study unveiled the adaptability of enzymes/proteins in nature to perform biological functions at elevated temperatures.

A novel thermophilic chitinase directly mined from the marine metagenome using the deep learning tool Preoptem

Chitin is abundant in nature and its degradation products are highly valuable for numerous applications. Thermophilic chitinases are increasingly appreciated for their capacity to biodegrade chitin at high temperatures and prolonged enzyme stability. Here, using deep learning approaches, we developed a prediction tool, Preoptem, to screen thermophilic proteins. A novel thermophilic chitinase, Chi304, was mined directly from the marine metagenome. Chi304 showed maximum activity at 85 ℃, its Tm reached 89.65 ± 0.22℃, and exhibited excellent thermal stability at 80 and 90 °C. Chi304 had both endo- and exo-chitinase activities, and the (GlcNAc)2 was the main hydrolysis product of chitin-related substrates. The product yields of colloidal chitin degradation reached 97% within 80 min, and 20% over 4 days of reaction with crude chitin powder. This study thus provides a method to mine the novel thermophilic chitinase for efficient chitin biodegradation.

A Novel Chitosanase from Penicillium oxalicum M2 for Chitooligosaccharide Production: Purification, Identification and Characterization

This study discovered a novel chitosanase from Penicillium oxalicum M2 based on a new screening strategy. An extracellular chitosanase was isolated and purified from the fermentation broth of Penicillium oxalicum M2. A 19.34-fold purification was achieved on a cation exchange column. Using sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, chitosanase was determined at approximately 42 kDa without any subunits. The sequence of peptide in the protein was identified as SALNKNYITNFSTLR by MALTI-TOF/TOF MS. The maximum catalytic activity of the purified enzyme was 60.45 U/mg at the optimum pH and temperature of 5.5 and 60 °C. The enzyme activity held stability in the range of 35-50 °C and pH 3-4.5. Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, non-ionic surfactants (Tween 20/40/60/80 and Trition X-100) and some common reducing agents (DTT and β-ME) could significantly activate chitosanase. The purified enzyme showed rigorous specificity to chitosan as a substrate. The hydrolysate in the final stage of hydrolysis consisted of chitooligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization ranging from 2 to 5 and without glucosamine or acetylglucosamine. The monomeric enzyme obtained by one-step purification reveal applications potential in sugar industry, and expanded our understanding of the GH75 family chitosanases simultaneously.

Iminoboronate-chitooligosaccharides hydrogels with strong antimicrobial activity for biomedical applications

The paper reports hydrogels prepared from chitooligosaccharides with different polymerization degrees (14 to 51), by crosslinking with 2-formylphenylboronicacid in three molar ratios of their functionalities. The structural, morphological and supramolecular characterization confirmed a hydrogelation mechanism based on self-assembling of newly formed imine units and porous morphology. Rheological measurements confirmed the formation of thixotropic hydrogels, and swelling tests indicated mass equilibrium swelling values up to 25 in water and 9 in phosphate buffer saline. The monitoring of enzymatic degradability demonstrated the enhancing of biodegradation rate as long as the polymerization degrees of the oligomers decreased, the mass loss increasing from 16% to 43%. In vivo and ex-vivo biocompatibility investigation on experimental mice showed no cytotoxic effect, and in vitro antimicrobial tests revealed remarkable antimicrobial properties on nine strains, with a maximum inhibition diameter of 49 mm on Aspergilius brasiliensis and very good results on Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium crysogenum and different Candida species.

Chitooligosaccahrides: Digestion characterization and effect of the degree of polymerization on gut microorganisms to manage the metabolome functional diversity in vitro

Consumption of chitooligosaccharides (COS) prevents intestinal microecological disorder. The mechanisms for the effects of different COS on the gut microbiota are currently unclear. This study examined the impact of COS with different degrees of polymerization (DPs) on the gut microbial community and metabolic profile. COS significantly promoted the growth of Bacteroidetes, and inhibited that of Proteobacteria, which were significantly correlated with DPs. COS3 and COS2 enriched the butyrate production in microbial communities composed of Clostridium and Parabacteroides. Microbial communities enriched by DPs 4-6 COS displayed increased diversity in differential metabolite function. Several biomarkers were distinguished significantly, including unsaturated fatty acids, bile acids, indoles and amines, which are mainly related to processes such as fatty acid synthesis and decomposition, bile acid modification, and tryptophan metabolism. The results display the relationship among COS structure-gut microbes-metabolomics, providing a new perspective for COS as a functional food to improve intestinal health.

Elicitation of defense response by transglycosylated chitooligosaccharides in rice seedlings

Long-chain chitooligosaccharides (COS) with degree of polymerization (DP) more than 4 are known to have potential biological activities. A hyper-transglycosylating mutant of an endo-chitinase from Serratia proteamaculans (SpChiD-Y28A) was used to synthesize COS with DP6 and DP7 using COS DP5 as substrate. Purified COS with DP5-7 were tested to elicit the defense response in rice seedlings. Among the COS used, DP7 strongly induced oxidative burst response as well as peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia lyase activites. A few selected marker genes in salicylic acid (SA)- and jasmonic acid-dependent pathways were evaluated by real-time PCR. The expression levels of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes PR1a and PR10 and defense response genes (chitinase1, peroxidase and β -1,3-glucanase) were up regulated upon COS treatment in rice seedlings. The DP7 induced Phenylalanine ammonia lyase and Isochorismate synthase 1 genes, with concomitant increase of Mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 and WRKY45 transcription factor genes indicated the possible role of phosphorylation in the transmission of a signal to induce SA-mediated defense response in rice.

Chemoenzymatic production of chitooligosaccharides employing ionic liquids and Thermomyces lanuginosus chitinase

The aim of this work was to study a two-step chemoenzymatic method for production of short chain chitooligosaccharides. Chitin was chemically pretreated using sulphuric acid, sodium hydroxide and two different ionic liquids, 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide and Trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate under mild processing conditions. Pretreated chitin was further hydrolyzed employing purified chitinase from Thermomyces lanuginosus ITCC 8895. Trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate treated chitin appeared amorphous and resulted in generation of 1.10 ± 0.89 mg ml^-1 of (GlcNAc)₂ and 1.07 ± 0.92 mg ml^-1 of (GlcNAc)₃. Further derivation of optimum conditions through two-factor-9 run experiments resulted in to 1.5 and 1.3 fold increments in (GlcNAc)₂ and (GlcNAc)₃ production, respectively. 0.1 g of both (GlcNAc)₂ and (GlcNAc)₃ has been purified from the Trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate pretreated chitin (1 g) employing cation exchange chromatography. The present study will lay the foundation for development of a green sustainable solution for cost effective upcycling of coastal residual resources to chito-bioactives.

Recombinant production and characterisation of two chitinases from Rasamsonia emersonii, and assessment of their potential industrial applicability

Rasamsonia emersonii (previously Talaromyces emersonii) is a thermophilic filamentous fungus displaying optimum growth at 45 °C. It has a history of use in commercial food enzyme production. Its unfractionated chitinolytic secretome was partially characterised in the early 1990s; however, no individual chitinase from this source has been described in literature previously. This study describes two GH18 chitinases originating from the R. emersonii genome, expressed in the methylotrophic yeast P. pastoris. Chit1 comprises of a GH18 catalytic domain and Chit2 comprises of a GH18 catalytic domain and a chitin-binding motif at the C-terminal. The chitinases were expressed as glycoproteins. The apparent molecular weight of Chit1 was 35.8-42.1 kDa with a smearing tail associated with glyco-sidechains visible up to 72.2 kDa. This became two bands of 30.8 and 29.0 kDa upon de-glycosylation. The apparent molecular weight of Chit2 was 50.4 kDa, reducing to 48.2 kDa upon de-glycosylation. Both chitinases displayed endo-chitinase and chitobiosidase activity, temperature optima of 50-55 °C and low pH optima (pH 4.5 or lower); Chit1 displayed a pH optimum of 3.5, retaining > 60% maximum activity at pH 2.2, a pH range lower than most enzymes of fungal origin. Chit2 displayed the highest chitin-degrading ability at 3456 µmol/mg on 4-NP-triacetylchitotriose, but lost activity faster than Chit1, which displayed 403 µmol/mg on the same substrate. The predicted D values (time required to reduce the enzyme activity to 10% of its original value at 50 °C) were 19.2 and 2.3 days for Chit1 and Chit2, respectively. Thus, Chit1 can be considered one of few hyperthermostable chitinase enzymes described in literature to date. Their physicochemical properties render these chitinases likely suitable for shrimp chitin processing including one-step chitin hydrolysis and alternative sustainable protein processing and the attractive emerging application of mushroom food waste valorisation.Key points• Two GH18 chitinases originating from the industrially relevant thermophilic fungus R. emersonii were cloned and expressed in P. pastoris.• The purified recombinant chitinases showed low pH and high temperature optima and appreciable thermostability at industrially relevant temperatures.• The chitinases displayed characteristics that indicate their likely suitability to several industrial applications including sustainable alternative protein processing, food waste valorisation of commercial mushroom production and one-step shrimp chitin processing.

Gene Cloning, Functional Expression, and Characterization of a Novel GH46 Chitosanase from Streptomyces avermitilis (SaCsn46A)

A n ovel glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 46 chitosanase (SaCsn46A) from Streptomyces avermitilis was cloned and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) strains. SaCsn46A consists of 271 amino acids, which includes a 34-amino acid signal peptide. The protein sequence of SaCsn46A shows maximum identity (83.5%) to chitosanase from Streptomyces sp. SirexAA-E. Then, the mature enzyme was purified to homogeneity through Ni-chelating affinity chromatography with a recovery yield of 78% and the molecular mass of purified enzyme was estimated to be 29 kDa by SDS-PAGE. The recombinant enzyme possessed a temperature optimum of 45 °C and a pH optimum of 6.2, and it was stable at pH ranging from 4.0 to 9.0 and below 30 °C. The K_m and V_max values of this enzyme were 1.32 mg/mL, 526.32 U/mg/min, respectively (chitosan as substrate). The enzyme activity can be enhanced by Mg²⁺ and especially Mn²⁺, which could enhance the activity about 3.62-fold at a 3-mM concentration. The enzyme can hydrolyze a variety of polysaccharides which are linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds such as chitin, xylan, and cellulose, but it could not hydrolyze polysaccharides linked by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds. The results of thin-layer chromatography and HPLC showed that the enzyme exhibited an endo-type cleavage pattern and could hydrolyze chitosan to glucosamine (GlcN) and (GlcN)₂. This study demonstrated that SaCsn46A is a promising enzyme to produce glucosamine and chitooligosaccharides (COS) from chitosan.

Microbial chitinases: properties, enhancement and potential applications

Chitinases are a category of hydrolytic enzymes that catalyze chitin and are formed by a wide variety of microorganisms. In nature, microbial chitinases are primarily responsible for chitin decomposition and play a vital role in the balance of carbon and nitrogen ratio in the ecosystem. The physicochemical attributes and the source of chitinase are the main bases that determine their functional characteristics and hydrolyzed products. Several chitinases have been reported and characterized, and they obtain a wider consideration for their utilization in a large number of uses such as in agriculture, food, environment, medicine and pharmaceutical companies. The antifungal and insecticidal impacts of several chitinases have been extensively studied, aiming to protect crops from phytopathogenic fungi and insects. Chitooligosaccharides synthesized by chitin degradation have been shown to improve human health through their antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties. This review aims at investigating chitinase production, properties and their potential applications in various biotechnological fields.

Fabrication of a multi-level drug release platform with liposomes, chitooligosaccharides, phospholipids and injectable chitosan hydrogel to enhance anti-tumor effectiveness

Some anti-cancer drugs have poor solubility and availability, and are easily eliminated by rapid metabolism in vivo. To fix the drugs at the administration site and delay their release, a release platform with multi-level and multi-function was designed. The results showed that the curcumin (Cur) loaded liposomes (Cur@Lip) were coated sequentially with positive Chitooligosaccharides (Cur@Lip-Cos) and negative phospholipids (Cur@Lip-Cos-PC), to enhance water solubility, encapsulation efficiency, and delayed the release of the Cur, stability and cell intake of the liposomes, and the bioactivity of the system. The Cur@Lip-Cos could significantly enhance the inhibitory effect of MCF-7, better than the Cur@Lip-Cos-PC. The Lips were then fixed in an injectable thiolated chitosan hydrogel for local immobilization and sustained release which can effectively delay the release of Cur to inhibit MCF-7 growth. In summary, the innovative and biomimetic liposomal hydrogels are expected to provide more ideas for the design of drug carriers.

A temperature-induced chitosanase bacterial cell-surface display system for the efficient production of chitooligosaccharides

OBJECTIVE

To establish a temperature-induced chitosanase bacterial cell-surface display system to produce chitooligosaccharides (COSs) efficiently for industrial applications.

RESULTS

Temperature-inducible chitosanase CSN46A bacterial surface display systems containing one or two copies of ice nucleation protein (InaQ-N) as anchoring motifs were successfully constructed on the basis of Escherichia coli and named as InaQ-N-CSN46A (1 copy) and 2InaQ-N-CSN46A (2 copies). The specific enzyme activity of 2InaQ-N-CSN46A reached 761.34 ± 0.78 U/g cell dry weight, which was 45.6% higher than that of InaQ-N-CSN46A. However, few proteins were detected in the 2InaQ-N-CSN46A hydrolysis system. Therefore, 2InaQ-N-CSN46A had higher hydrolysis efficiency and stability than InaQ-N-CSN46A. Gel permeation chromatography revealed that under the optimum enzymatic hydrolysis temperature, the final products were mainly chitobiose and chitotriose. Chitopentaose accumulated (77.62%) when the hydrolysis temperature reached 60 °C. FTIR and NMR analysis demonstrated that the structures of the two hydrolysis products were consistent with those of COSs.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, chitosanase was expressed on the surfaces of E. coli by increasing the induction temperature, and chitosan was hydrolysed directly without enzyme purification steps. This study provides a novel strategy for industrial COS production.

The impact of chitooligosaccharides and their derivatives on the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity: A comprehensive review

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) are the degraded products of chitin or chitosan. COS is water-soluble, non-cytotoxic to organisms, readily absorbed through the intestine, and eliminated primarily through the kidneys. COS possess a wide range of biological activities, including immunomodulation, cholesterol-lowering, and antitumor activity. Although work on COS goes back at least forty years, several aspects remain unclear. This review narrates the recent developments in COS antitumor activities, while paying considerable attention to the impacts of physicochemical properties (such as molecular weight and degrees of deacetylation) and chemical modifications both in vitro and in vivo. COS derivatives not only improve some physicochemical properties, but also expand the range of applications in drug and gene delivery. COS (itself or as a drug carrier) can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and metastasis, which might be attributed to its ability to stimulate the immune response along with its anti-angiogenic activity. Further, an attempt has been made to report limitations and future research. The potential health benefits of COS and its derivatives against cancer may offer a new insight on their applications in food and medical fields.

Chitopentaose inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing mitochondrial mediated apoptosis and suppressing protective autophagy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and deadliest cancers. In this study, the anti-tumor effect of singular degree of polymerization (DP) chitooligosaccharides (COS) (DP 2-5) and the underlay molecular mechanisms were investigated on HCC cell line HepG2. MTT assay showed that (GlcN)5 have the best anti-proliferation effect among the different DP of COS (DP2-5). Furthermore, the administration of (GlcN)5 could decrease mitochondrial membrane potential, release cytochrome c into cytoplasm, activate the cleavage of Caspases9/3, thus inducing mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis in HepG2 cells (accounting for 24.57 ± 2.25%). In addition, (GlcN)5 treatment could increase the accumulation of autophagosomes. Further investigation showed that (GlcN)5 suppressed protective autophagy at the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. Moreover, the inhibition of protective autophagy flux by (GlcN)5 could further decrease cell viability and increase the apoptosis rate. Our findings suggested that (GlcN)5 suppressed HepG2 proliferation through inducing apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway and impairing cell-protective autophagy. COS might have the potential to be an agent for lowering the risk of HCC.

Selection and mutational analyses of the substrate interacting residues of a chitinase from Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae (EcChi2) to improve transglycosylation

Transglycosylation (TG) by Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae chitinase 2 (EcChi2) has been deciphered by site-directed mutagenesis. EcChi2 originally displayed feeble TG with chitin oligomer with a degree of polymerization (DP4), for a short duration. Based on the 3D modelling and molecular docking analyses, we altered the substrate interactions at the substrate-binding cleft, catalytic center, and catalytic groove of EcChi2 by mutational approach to improve TG. The mutation of W166A and T277A increased TG by EcChi2 and also affected its catalytic efficiency on the polymeric substrates. Whereas, R171A had a drastically decreased hydrolytic activity but, retained TG activity. In the increased hydrolytic activity of the T277A, altered interactions with the substrates played an indirect role in the catalysis. Mutation of the central Asp, in the conserved DxDxE motif, to Ala (D314A) and Asn (D314N) conversion yielded DP5-DP8 TG products. The quantifiable TG products (DP5 and DP6) increased to 8% (D314A) and 7% (D314N), resulting in a hyper-transglycosylating mutant. Mutation of W276A and W398A resulted in the loss of TG activity, indicating that the aromatic residues (W276 and W398) at +1 and +2 subsites are essential for the TG activity of EcChi2.

Structure-function analysis of Gynuella sunshinyii chitosanase uncovers the mechanism of substrate binding in GH family 46 members

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) is a kind of functional carbohydrates with great application potential as its various biological functions in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical fields. Exploring the relationship between structure and function of chitosanase is essential for the controllable preparation of chitooligosaccharides with the specific degree of polymerization (DP). GsCsn46A is a cold-adapted glycosyl hydrolase (GH) family 46 chitosanase with application potential for the controllable preparation of chitooligosaccharides. Here, we present two complex structures with substrate chitopentaose and chitotetraose of GsCsn46A, respectively. The overall structure of GsCsn46A contains nine α-helices and two β-strands that folds into two globular domains with the substrate between them. The unique binding positions of both chitopentaose and chitotetraose revealed two novel sugar residues in the negatively-numbered subsites of GH family 46 chitosanases. The structure-function analysis of GsCsn46A uncovers the substrate binding and catalysis mechanism of GH family 46 chitosanases. Structural basis mutagenesis in GsCsn46A indicated that altering interactions near +3 subsite would help produce hydrolysis products with higher DP. Specifically, the mutant N21W of GsCsn46A nearly eliminated the ability of hydrolyzing chitotetraose after long-time degradation.

A strategy of ultrasound-assisted processing to improve the performance of bio-based coating preservation for refrigerated carp fillets (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)

Effects of ultrasound-assisted chitooligosaccharides (COS-UA) coating on the quality attributes and microbial composition of refrigerated grass carp fillets were evaluated. The results showed that COS and COS-UA coatings retarded quality deterioration of fillets during storage. Compared to COS coatings, COS-UA treated samples had lower contents of BAs, simultaneously their levels of total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), K value and total viable counts (TVC) were further decreased by 13.6%, 4.2% and 7.8% on day 12, respectively. High-throughput sequencing showed that Aeromonas and Shewanella increased rapidly in control samples and became the main microbiota at day 12. By contrast, both coatings changed the microbial composition and reduced the proportion of spoilage organisms. Based on multiple evaluations, COS-UA extended shelf life of fillets by another 2 days when compared to COS. Therefore, ultrasonic treatment could be considered as an effective supplementary to improve the preservation effect of COS-based coatings for fresh preprocessed fish.

Enhanced thermotolerance of Arabidopsis by chitooligosaccharides-induced CERK1n-ERc fusion gene

Heat stress is a major growth-limiting factor for most crops over the world. Chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1 (CERK1) is a chitin/chitooligosaccharides receptor, and ERECTA (ER) plays a crucial role in plant resistance to heat stress. In the present study, a chitooligosaccharides-induced CERK1n-ERc fusion gene was designed and synthesized, in which the extracellular domain and transmembrane domain of CERK1 gene is connected with the response region of ER gene. We successfully constructed the CERK1n-ERc fusion gene by Overlap PCR and introduced it into Arabidopsis by Agrobacterium-medicated infection. Genetically modified (GM) plants had a greater germination rate and germination index, as well as a shorter mean germination time, indicating that they had a better thermotolerance compared with the wild-type (WT) lines under heat stress. Moreover, the GM lines showed a lower level of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and relative electrolyte leakage (REL), suggesting that they were in better state compared with the WT plants when exposed to high temperature. UPLC-MS/MS was employed to assess the phytohormone level, suggesting that the GM lines acquired a better thermotolerance via jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways. In general, we constructed a COS-induced fusion gene to enhance the thermotolerance of Arabidopsis during seed germination and postgermination growth.

Catalytic efficiency of a multi-domain transglycosylating chitinase from Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae (EcChi2) is influenced by polycystic kidney disease domains

Bacterial chitinases recruited multiple accessory domains for the conversion of recalcitrant polysaccharides to simple soluble sugars/amino sugars. Here, we report detailed properties of a multi-domain GH18 chitinase from Enterobacter cloacae subsp. cloacae (EcChi2) that preferred β-chitin as substrate. EcChi2 exhibited transglycosylation (TG) activity on oligomeric substrates from DP4-DP6. The high amount of DP2 is indicative of exo mode activity of EcChi2. We generated EcChi2 variants (truncated and fusion chimeras) and elucidated the role of catalytic and accessory domains. The catalytic efficiency of truncated GH18 and fusion chimera of GH18+ChBD1-ChBD2 decreased to 22 and 17-fold, respectively, than EcChi2, and lost the hydrolytic activity on polymeric substrates, except colloidal chitin. On the other hand, the catalytic activity of truncated PKD1-GH18-PKD2 on polymeric and oligomeric substrates was similar to EcChi2, suggesting that PKD domains are essential for increasing the rate of hydrolysis. Moreover, the truncated ChBD1-ChBD2 and fusion PKD1 + PKD2 participated in chitin-binding.

Development and validation of an improved 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone method for quantitative determination of reducing sugar ends in chitooligosaccharides

An accurate and sensitive analytical method for detecting and quantifying reducing sugar ends (RSE) in chitooligosaccharides (COSs) is the key quality parameter for evaluating their structure-function relationship and potential applications. In this work, we develop and validate a novel colorimetric assay with high accuracy and precision for determining RSE content using 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH). Under optimal conditions, the stoichiometry is verified using mono-, di-, and tri- glucosamine hydrochlorides, and the dilution ratio does not interfere with the RSE content measured at 590 nm. The regression equation of glucosamine reveal a good linear relationship (R² = 0.9999). The detection limit, quantification limit, mean relative standard deviation (RSD), and recovery are 2.28 μM, 9.11 μM, 1.90%, and 98.0%, respectively. The newly developed method is potentially useful for monitoring COS hydrolysis, number average molecular weight, and chitosanase activity.

Review: Advances in preparation of chitooligosaccharides with heterogeneous sequences and their bioactivity

Chitooligosaccharides has attracted increasing attention due to their diverse bioactivities and potential application. Previous studies on the bioactivity of chitooligosaccharides were mostly carried out using a mixture. The structure-function relationship of chitooligosaccharides is not clear. Recently, it is confirmed that chitooligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerization play different roles in many bioactivities. However, heterogeneous chitooligosaccharides with a single degree of polymerization is still a mixture of many uncertain sequences and it is difficult to determine which structure is responsible for biological effects. Therefore, an interesting and challenging field of studying chitooligosaccharides with heterogeneous sequences has emerged. Herein, we reviewed the current methods for preparing heterogeneous chitooligosaccharides, including chemical synthesis, separation techniques and enzymatic methods. Advances in the bioactivities of chitooligosaccharides with heterogeneous sequences are also reviewed.

Incorporation of quaternary ammonium chitooligosaccharides on ZnO/palygorskite nanocomposites for enhancing antibacterial activities

Quaternary ammonium chitooligosaccharides (QACOS) was incorporated onto the ZnO/palygorskite (ZnO/PAL) nanocomposite by a simple electrostatic self-assembly process to produce a new organic-inorganic nanocomposite (QACOS/ZnO/PAL) with excellent antibacterial activity. After loading QACOS, the Zeta potential of ZnO/PAL was changed from -26.7 to +30.3 mV, which facilitates to improve the targeting behavior of ZnO/PAL towards bacteria and its contact with bacteria, resulting in a significant improvement of antibacterial capability. The MIC values of QACOS/ZnO/PAL for inhibiting bacteria (0.5 mg/mL for E. coli and 1 mg/L for S. aureus) were superior to ZnO/PAL and QACOS, demonstrated an expected synergistic antibacterial effect between QACOS and ZnO/PAL. The improved contact and interface interaction between QACOS/ZnO/PAL and bacteria makes it easier to destroy the structural integrity of bacteria. As a whole, the incorporation of polysaccharide as regulators of surface charge opens up a new way to further enhance the antibacterial activity of inorganic antibacterial materials.

Identification of a chitosanase from the marine metagenome and its molecular improvement based on evolution data

Chitooligosaccharides have important application value in the fields of food and agriculture. Chitosanase can degrade chitosan to obtain chitooligosaccharides. The marine metagenome contains many genes related to the degradation of chitosan. However, it is difficult to mine valuable genes from large gene resources. This study proposes a method to screen chitosanases directly from the marine metagenome. Chitosanase gene chis1754 was identified from the metagenome and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. The optimal temperature and pH of CHIS1754 were 55 °C and 5.5, respectively. A mutant, CHIS1754T, with 15 single point mutations designed based on molecular evolution data was also expressed in E. coli. The results indicated that the thermal stability of CHIS1754T was significantly improved, as the T_m showed an increase of ~ 7.63 °C. Additionally, the k_cat/K_m of CHIS1754T was 4.8-fold higher than that of the wild type. This research provides new theories and foundations for the excavation, modification, and industrial application of chitosanases. KEY POINTS: A chitosanase gene, chis1754, was firstly identified from marine metagenome. A multi-site mutant was designed to improve enzyme stability and activity. The k_cat/K_mof the designed mutant was 4.8-fold higher than that of the wild type.

Effect of chitooligosaccharides on human gut microbiota and antiglycation

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) have garnered great attention in the field of human healthcare. The prebiotic activities and antiglycation of COS were investigated using a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies. COS supplementation dramatically increased the levels of acetic acid, while reducing the concentrations of propionic and butyric acids. It also decreased the total bacterial population; however, it did not affect diversity and richness of the gut microbiota. In addition, COS modulated the gut microbiota composition by increasing Bacteroidetes, decreasing Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, and lowering the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. COS promoted the generation of beneficial Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium genera, while suppressing the pathogenic Klebsiella genus. The antiglycation activity of COS and acetic acid was dose-dependent. Furthermore, COS prevented the decrease of serum N^ε-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML) level caused by CML ingestion in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. To improve host health, COS could be potential prebiotics in food products.

Quantification of chitooligosaccharides by FACE method: Determination of combinatory effects of mouse chitinases

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FACE is a simple, qualitative and quantitative method.

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The standard curve warrants quantification of chitooligosaccharides of up to 10 nmol regardless on used buffer system.

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Our improved FACE method enable us to quantify chitooligosaccharides produced by chitinases at pH 2.0–8.0.

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Determination of the combinatory effects of the Chit1 and AMCase using the FACE method.

Fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE) enables detection and quantification of degradation products from artificial and natural chitin substrates such as 4-NP-(GlcNAc)₂, (GlcNAc)₄ and colloidal chitin. The FACE method has been improved by our group for analysis of chitooligosaccharides in the presence of several buffer systems commonly used in the biochemical evaluation of chitinolytic activities of enzymes at pH 2.0–8.0. FACE is a very sensitive technique detecting picomolar amounts of molecules. We optimized the detection conditions as follows: exposure type, precision; sensitivity, high resolution; exposure time, 5 s. We evaluated the (GlcNAc)₂ levels using a standard curve that allows chitooligosaccharides quantification at up to 10 nmol amounts. Using the method presented here, the chitinolytic properties of different chitinases can be compared directly. Serratia chitinase A (ChiA) and chitinase B (ChiB), two well-studied bacterial chitinases, have been shown by HPLC to have a synergistic effect on the chitin degradation rate. Using the FACE method, we determined the combinatory effects of mouse chitotriosidase (Chit1) and acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) in natural chitin substrates processing.•

FACE is a simple and quantitative method.

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Our improved procedure enables the quantification of chitooligosaccharides produced by chitinases at pH 2.0–8.0.

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FACE is able to quantify chitooligosaccharides at up to 10 nmol amounts.

High level production of a Bacillus amlyoliquefaciens chitosanase in Pichia pastoris suitable for chitooligosaccharides preparation

Chitooligosaccharides (COS) are hydrolytic products of chitosan that are essential in functional food, medicine, and other fields due to their biological activities. Commercial COS are often prepared by the hydrolysis of chitosan by chitosanase. In this study, a glycoside hydrolase family 46 cluster B chitosanase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BaCsn46B) was efficiently expressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant enzyme was secreted into the culture medium that reached a total extracellular protein concentration of 4.5 g/L with an activity of 8907.2 U/mL in a high cell density fermenter (5 L). The molecular mass of deglycosylated BaCsn46B was 29.0 kDa. Purified BaCsn46B exhibited excellent enzymatic properties, which had high specific activity (2380.5 U/mg) under optimal reaction conditions (55 °C and pH 6.5). BaCsn46B hydrolyzed chitosan yielded a series of COS with different degrees of polymerization by endo-type cleavage. The end hydrolytic products of BaCsn46B were chitobiose and chitotriose, while no monosaccharide yield was evident in the hydrolytic reaction. The excellent secreted expression level and hydrolytic performance make the enzyme a desirable biocatalyst for the industrial preparation of COS.

Effects of different molar mass chitooligosaccharides on growth, antioxidant capacity, non-specific immune response, and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in GIFT tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of different molar mass chitooligosaccharides (1000 Da, 3000 Da and 8000 Da) on growth, antioxidant capacity, non-specific immune response, and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in GIFT tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). A total of 600 fish were divided into four treatments with five replicates of thirty fish per tank. The results showed that the supplementation of 1000 Da and 3000 Da COS significantly improved the growth performance and feed utilization in GIFT tilapia. The trend of decreasing total cholesterol, triglyceride, ALT, and ACP activity was observed in fish fed diet supplemented COS. The supplementation of 1000 Da and 3000 Da COS significantly improved the serum TAC activity, and decreased the serum MDA and catalase activities (P < 0.05). The lysozyme activity of blood, liver, and gills in fish fed diets supplemented with 1000 Da and 3000 Da COS was significantly higher than that of fish fed control diet after 56 days of feeding (P < 0.05). The phagocytic activity and phagocytic index of fish fed diets supplemented with 1000 Da and 3000 Da COS were significantly higher than those of fish fed control diet. Post-challenge test showed that fish mortality in 1000 Da, 3000 Da, and 8000 Da COS groups were significantly lower than that of fish in control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study indicated that dietary 1000 Da and 3000 Da COS supplementation could enhance more performance and immune response of GIFT tilapia than 8000 Da COS.

Microbial chitinases: properties, current state and biotechnological applications

Chitinases are a group of hydrolytic enzymes that catalyze chitin, nd are synthesized by a wide variety of organisms. In nature, microbial chitinases are primarily responsible for chitin decomposition. Several chitinases have been reported and characterized, and they are garnering increasing attention for their uses in a wide range of applications. In the food industry, the direct fermentation of seafood, such as crab and shrimp shells, using chitinolytic microorganisms has contributed to increased nutritional benefits through the enhancement of chitin degradation into chitooligosaccharides. These compounds have been demonstrated to improve human health through their antitumor, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, chitinase and chitinous materials are used in the food industry for other purposes, such as the production of single-cell proteins, chitooligosaccharides, N-acetyl D-glucosamines, biocontrol, functional foods, and various medicines. The functional properties and hydrolyzed products of chitinase, however, depend upon its source and physicochemical characteristics. The present review strives to clarify these perspectives and critically discusses the advances and limitations of microbial chitinase in the further production of functional foods.

The triple-wavelength overlapping resonance Rayleigh scattering method and the fluorescence quenching method for the determination of chitooligosaccharides using trisodium-8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate as a probe

In this assay, the triple-wavelength overlapping resonance Rayleigh scattering (TWO-RRS) method and the fluorescence quenching method for the quantitative detection of chitooligosaccharides (COS) were developed. In the weakly Britton-Robinson buffer solution, COS interacted with Trisodium-8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (HPTS) to form an ion-association complex of HPTS-COS, which increased the RRS intensities at 321 nm, 430 nm and 511 nm and decreased the fluorescence intensities of the system at 512 nm. And the changes in the intensities of both methods were related to the changes in the concentration of COS. Moreover, for the TWO-RRS method, OP-10 made the RRS intensities increased stronger, finally, the three peaks' total was linear to the concentration of COS in the range of 1.00-8.00 μg/mL and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.247 μg/mL, and for the fluorescence quenching method, the linear range was 0.50-3.50 μg/mL with the LOD of 0.108 μg/mL. Based on these, two new and fast spectral methods with high sensitivity and simplicity for the determination of trace COS had been established. The generation mechanism of the TWO-RRS and the fluorescence quenching was studied. At the same time, the two methods were applied to the determination of COS in health products with satisfactory results.

Effects of chitooligosaccharides supplementation with different dosages, molecular weights and degrees of deacetylation on growth performance, innate immunity and hepatopancreas morphology in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Three trials were conducted to comprehensively evaluate the application of chitooligosaccharides (COSs) different dosages, molecular weights (MW) and degrees of deacetylation (DD) as a feed additive for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). In trial 1, COSs (3 KDa and 85% DD) at four different dosages (0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15% and 0.2%) were added to feed to investigate the appropriate dosages. The survival ratio (SR) of the shrimps was not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the control and treatment groups. The shrimps fed with 0.1% COSs supplementation exhibited the highest wet body weight (FBW), specific growth ratio (SGR), and weight gain (WG) and the lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR). In trial 2, COSs with different MW (85% DD and 0.1% dosage) were tested. Except for the group treated with the 12 KDa COSs, all shrimps fed with COSs had remarkably higher (P < 0.05) FBW, WG, and SGR and lower FCR (P < 0.05) than the control group, and shrimps fed with the 1 KDa COSs showed most positive effects. In trial 3, COSs with different DD (MW of 1 KDa and 0.1% dosage) were further studied. The different DD were DD5, DD25, DD50, DD75, and DD95. Shrimps fed COSs-supplemented diets of DD75 or DD95 exhibited higher (P < 0.05) FBW, WG and SGR and lower FCR than the other groups. The DD95 group had the highest FBW, WG and SGR and the lowest FCR, but there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the DD75 and DD95 groups. Moreover, for COSs supplementation, especially for the DD75 and DD95 groups, the antioxidant parameters were significantly different from those of the other groups. Furthermore, groups fed diets with COSs supplementation had higher (P < 0.05) trypsin activity than those fed control diets. In addition, immune and antioxidant gene expression and the morphology of the hepatopancreas were affected by the DD of COSs. Therefore, the additive dosages, molecular weights and degrees of deacetylation of COSs significantly affected the growth performance of the shrimps; therefore, it is particularly important to determine the optimum parameters of COSs.

Preparation and characterisation of novel water-soluble β-carotene-chitooligosaccharides complexes

β-carotene and chitooligosaccharides are bioactive compounds that find their application in the food industry as well in biomedical fields. However, the application of β-carotene is limited due to its very low water solubility, as well as its air, light and temperature sensitivity. The preparation of β-carotene-chitooligosaccharides complexes by mechanochemical methods was presented. Their physical and chemical properties including solubility, size, zeta potential and radical scavenging activity were investigated. The interaction of the two components was shown by NMR, FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopy. The complexes were analysed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Chitooligosaccharides could serve as a carrier for β-carotene delivery. The complexation did not cause the loss of the radical scavenging activity of β-carotene and guaranteed its water solubility.

Assays for the Enzymes Catalyzing the O-Acetylation of Bacterial Cell Wall Polysaccharides

The polysaccharides that comprise bacterial cell walls are commonly O-acetylated. This modification confers resistance to hydrolases of innate immune systems and/or controls endogenous autolytic activity. Herein, we present protocols for the compositional analysis of bacterial cell wall O-acetylation, and assays for monitoring O-acetyltransferases and O-acetylesterases. The assays are amenable for the development of high-throughput screens in search of inhibitors of the respective enzymes.

Glycosynthase-type GH18 mutant chitinases at the assisting catalytic residue for polymerization of chitooligosaccharides

Chitooligosaccharides (COS), the depolymerization products of chitin, have many potential applications in agriculture and medicine since they induce immunostimulating effects and disease protective responses. Most of their biological activities require degrees of polymerization (DP) larger than the tetrasaccharide, but structurally well-defined COS with DP larger than six are difficult to produce due to their high insolubility and complex isolation from chitin hydrolysates. Enzymatic synthesis by exploiting the transglycosylation activity of chitinases offers a potential strategy for the assembly of oligomers in the range of bioactive DPs. We here explore the glycosynthase-like activity of six GH18 chitinases from bacterial and archaeal origin by mutating the catalytic assisting residue in the substrate-assisted mechanism of this enzyme family. The alanine mutants at the assisting residue have a significant, but not essential, effect on the hydrolase activity. We studied the ability of the alanine mutants at the assisting residue to catalyze the polymerization of an oxazoline derivative as donor substrate, selecting the oxazoline of pentaacetylchitopentaose (DP5ox) with the aim of obtaining larger oligomers/polymers that, being insoluble, might be resistant to further reactions by the hydrolytically compromised mutant enzymes. For all the enzymes, insoluble polymeric material was obtained, with DP10 as major component, but other COS with different DPs were also obtained, limiting the practical application to produce oligomers/polymers with a defined DP. The balance between the residual hydrolase activity of the mutant enzymes and the solubility/precipitation kinetics still lead to hydrolysis and/or transglycosylation reactions on the newly formed products. From the selected enzymes, the Thermococcus kodakaraensis ChiA D1022A mutant gave the best results, with the formation of insoluble polymers in 45% yield (w/w) and containing about 55% of the target DP10 product.

A novel thermophilic exochitinase ChiEn3 from Coprinopsis cinerea exhibits a hyperhydrolytic activity toward 85% deacetylated chitosan and a significant application to preparation of chitooligosaccharides from the chitosan

ChiEn3 from Coprinopsis cinerea was characterized as an exo-acting chitinase with a processivity. ChiEn3 hydrolyzed only soluble chitin and exhibited a hyperhydrolytic activity toward 85% deacetylated chitosan which was 33.6-fold higher than its hydrolytic activity toward glycol chitin. Its maximum hydrolytic activity was observed at 60 °C and retained 66.2% of hydrolytic activity after 60 min incubation at 60 °C. Commercial 85% deacetylated chitosan was degraded by ChiEn3 to a series of COSs with a DP of 2-20 in which COSs with a DP of 3-6 were dominant, whereas, lab-prepared chitosan (F_A = 0.65) was degraded by ChiEn3 to COSs with a DP of 2-10 in which the AA dimer was dominant. DPPH-radical-scavenging activity of ChiEn3-digested products of 85% deacetylated chitosan was 3.32-fold higher than that of undigested 85% deacetylated chitosan. Therefore, ChiEn3 shows a valuable advantage for application to the preparation of COSs from commercial 85% deacetylated chitosan.

Chitosan oligosaccharides affect xanthone and VOC biosynthesis in Hypericum perforatum root cultures and enhance the antifungal activity of root extracts

Water-soluble chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) affect xanthone and volatile organic compound content, as well as antifungal activity against human pathogenic fungi of extracts obtained from Hypericum perforatum root cultures. Several studies have demonstrated the elicitor power of chitosan on xanthone biosynthesis in root cultures of H. perforatum. One of the major limitations to the use of chitosan, both for basic and applied research, is the need to use acidified water for solubilization. To overcome this problem, the elicitor effect of water-soluble COS on the biosynthesis of both xanthones and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was evaluated in the present study. The analysis of xanthones and VOCs was performed by HPLC and GC-MS headspace analysis. The obtained results showed that COS are very effective in enhancing xanthone biosynthesis. With 400 mg L^-1 COS, a xanthone content of about 30 mg g^-1 DW was obtained. The antifungal activity of extracts obtained with 400 mg L^-1 COS was the highest, with MIC₅₀ of 32 µg mL^-1 against Candida albicans and 32-64 µg mL^-1 against dermatophytes, depending on the microorganism. Histochemical investigations suggested the accumulation of isoprenoids in the secretory ducts of H. perforatum roots. The presence of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes was confirmed by the headspace analysis. Other volatile hydrocarbons have been identified. The biosynthesis of most VOCs showed significant changes in response to COS, suggesting their involvement in plant-fungus interactions.